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New European demand from Denmark, the UK and the Netherlands has propelled wood pellet prices to record highs this year. Additional coal conversions by existing biomass consumers Orsted and UK generator Drax has boosted EU imports. While new demand is emerging from conversions by EPH in the UK and German utilities RWE and Uniper in the Netherlands.

During the first half of 2018, availability of spot wood pellet supply from Europe, Russia and North American has been extremely tight and in short supply. Production from the Baltic countries and Russia was lower as flooding led to difficulty sourcing material from forests. Portuguese production faced difficulty as forest fires impacted output and led to a lack of spot offers. While additional supply from North America failed to materialize with a shortage in new supply capacity and production failing to match growth in Europe.

Wood pellet prices are being boosted by growing competition between Asia and Europe for North American wood pellets as demand grows in both regions. Looking ahead the outlook for producers in Europe and North America looks positive with demand and consumption in Europe, Japan and Korea on the rise.

This event is an excellent platform to promote your organization to influential players and investors in the industry. Sponsorship opportunities available include Corporate, Exclusive Luncheon & Cocktail sponsor.

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Enviva to expand pellet production capacities by 2020

Posted on : 18 Jan, 2019

Wood pellet producer Enviva is planning to expand production capacities at two of its existing plants - Northampton, North Carolina, and Southampton, Virginia. The company is planning to invest about $130 million for the expansion works over the next few years that would include procurement of new production assets and emissions control equipment.

The expansion would add approximately 400,000 metric tons per year at the two facilities. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2020.

Enviva is also constructing a pellet plant in Hamlet, North Carolina - which will have a production capacity of 600,000 metric tons per year and is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2019.

Another pellet facility is being expanded at Greenwood, South Carolina - a joint venture between affiliates of Enviva’s sponsor and John Hancock. After the expansion, the plant will be able to produce 600,000 metric tons per year.

Find out more about pellet production at CMT’s 4th Biomass Trade and Power Europe on 12-13 February, 2019 in Copenhagen.

BIG raised £150 million for biomass and waste to energy projects in UK

Posted on : 03 Jan, 2019

The Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG) has raised £150 million that will be invested in new biomass and waste to energy assets in the UK. BIG has raised this capital from Infracapital, Helios Energy Investments and Aurium Capital Markets, that has brought its aggregate funding to over £600 million.

BIG has already invested in over 20 biomass to power energy projects in the UK. Some of them are - 21MW Ince biomass plant in Cheshire, 20MW Mersey Bio Energy in Widnes and the 24MW Energy Works facility in Hull.

As UK moves towards a low-carbon economy and is converting fossil fuel plants to use biomass, BIG is enabling UK to reduce its carbon emissions through these investments in biomass power projects.

According to BIG, its facilities will divert over 1 million tonnes of waste from landfill each year and generate enough electricity to power around 250,000 homes in the UK.

More about UK’s biomass power projects will be discussed at CMT’s 4th Biomass Trade and Power Europe on 12-13 February, 2019 in Copenhagen.

Drax to Convert Fourth Coal Unit to Biomass by year end

Posted on : 17 Sep, 2018

Drax, UK’s power utility, is all set to convert its fourth coal unit to run on biomass. Drax has already switched off the coal unit at its power station in Yorkshire in preparation for the conversion.

The company has spent about £700 million in converting three of its six units at the 3.9GW power station to use biomass feedstock.

For the fourth unit, Drax is reusing its redundant kit from when it first began co-firing biomass and coal eight years ago. This is expected to help Drax spend a much lower cost of about £30 million in converting the fourth unit to biomass.

The conversion is expected to be completed over this summer and operational by the second half of this year.

Drax has received subsidies through the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme for two of its existing biomass units at the power station while the third unit is supported by a Contract for Difference (CfD).

Going forward, Drax targets replacing the last two coal units with up to 3.6GW of gas generation and up to 200MW of storage.

Find out more about UK’s coal to biomass conversion at CMT’s 4th Biomass Trade and Power Europe on 12-13 February 2019 in Copenhagen.